1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tiles for countertops and the like and, more specifically, to tile structures and methods for making a tiled edge on a countertop or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Kitchen countertops, tables, cabinets, bars and other structures can be covered with tile to provide an attractive and durable finish. Ceramic tile is most commonly used. Ceramic tiles are bonded to the surface of, for example, a plywood kitchen counter substrate with a suitable mastic or cement-based adhesive. The space between tiles is filled with a suitable grout. Specially shaped edging tiles having an angled or L-shaped cross-sectional shape are mounted in this manner to the edges of the substrate to provide an attractive appearance. The edging tiles thus cover both a portion of the plywood substrate and a narrow strip of the cabinetry immediately below the substrate. The corner of an edging tile is typically radiused in some manner. For example, it may have a bullnose shape, or it may have what is known in the architectural design field as an ogee shape, which is a type of compound curve having both convex and concave portions. Because a ceramic tile is made by molding a clay-like material and firing it in a kiln, any desired shape or profile may be readily produced by providing a suitably shaped mold.
Countertops and the like can also be made of granite, marble and other natural stone. The beauty of such a countertop owes to the unique patterns and colors inherent in natural stone; no two pieces of stone are exactly alike in appearance, even if quarried from the same geographic area. A common method of making a natural stone countertop is to cut a stone slab to the desired countertop size (which, in the United States, has a de facto standard width of 24 inches), grind the forward edge of the slab to a desired profile shape such as a bullnose or bevel, polish the surface of the slab, and bond it to the substrate with a suitable adhesive. A de facto standard thickness of natural stone countertop slabs is two centimeters (approximately xc2xe inches). The slab may have a cutout opening for a kitchen sink. The slab may have a width slightly greater than the width of the substrate so that it overhangs the forward edge of the substrate. A strip-like piece or slab of facing stone having an appearance matching that of the countertop slab is typically mounted in a similar manner to the cabinetry edge immediately below the overhanging forward edge of the countertop slab to provide an attractive face. If, as is typical in a kitchen installation, a single slab is insufficient to cover the entire substrate, pieces that are to be mounted adjacent one another are selected to match one another in appearance. Typically, to ensure matching, the pieces are cut from the same block of quarried stone.
An increasingly popular method of making a natural stone countertop is to use tiles made of natural stone tiles. Stone tiles are laid in essentially the same manner as any tile. That is, tiles are adhesively mounted on a substrate and the spaces between them filled with grout. The tiles mounted at the forward edge of the countertop substrate overhang the edge of the substrate slightly. A facing tile can be mounted to the cabinetry immediately below the overhanging portion of the edging tile. The forward edge of the countertop can then be ground and polished to provide a bullnose or other desired profile.
The primary advantage is that a natural stone tile countertop is substantially more economical in material and labor costs than a natural stone slab countertop. Natural stone tiles are commercially available in de facto standard sizes, such as 12 inches square. Labor costs to install a stone tile countertop are lower than those to install a stone slab countertop because a slab must be cut, shaped, polished, matched with a facing piece, and carefully laid upon the substrate, all of which require the assistance of a number of persons as well as special machines and tools because the slab is heavy and unwieldy. In contrast, stone tiles can be mass-produced and sold in boxes of any desired quantity in essentially the same manner as any tile. Though more costly than ceramic tiles because granite and other stone is in economic terms a scarce natural resource in comparison to ceramic materials, because they must be cut from the quarried stone and polished, and because they must be cut in a manner that ensures they match in appearance, a quantity of stone tiles sufficient to cover a given area are nonetheless substantially more economical than a stone slab of equal area. Importantly, material costs for such a quantity of stone tiles are also less than material costs for a slab of equal area because stone tiles typically have a thickness that is substantially less (often about one-half) than that of stone slabs. Commercially available natural stone tiles are typically only xe2x85x9c inches in thickness, in contrast to natural stone slabs, which are typically xc2xe inches in thickness. Slabs have this thickness because a thinner slab is more likely to break or crack under the stresses of the various cutting, shaping, polishing and installation steps. Because a 12 inch square tile is relatively small in area in comparison to a slab, it can be relatively thin yet have sufficient structural integrity to prevent breakage during manufacturing, handling and installation.
Many consider a slab countertop to be more attractive than a tile countertop, not only because grouted joints may have disadvantages but also because the thickness of a slab conveys a sense of mass and permanence, which many find appealing and elegant. One can readily judge the thickness of stone countertops of the types described above by its forward edge.
It would be desirable to provide a natural stone countertop having a structure that makes it more attractive than those known in the art yet is more economical than a slab countertop. These problems and deficiencies are clearly felt in the art and are solved by the present invention in the manner described below.
The present invention relates to a natural stone edging tile. The edging tile has a top portion and a facing portion so that it can be mounted on the forward edge of a countertop substrate or other structure. Conventional natural stone tiles can be mounted on the substrate rearward of the edging tiles in the conventional manner. As such, the conventional tiles have a thickness that is substantially less than the thickness of a typical stone slab countertop. Nevertheless, to a person viewing the countertop of the present invention, the entire countertop appears to have the substantial thickness of a typical slab countertop because the forward edge of the edging tile has such a thickness.
For purposes of the this patent specification, the term xe2x80x9ccountertopxe2x80x9d includes within its scope not only kitchen, bathroom and other countertops, but also tables, cabinets, bars and other structures that are known in the art to be coverable with tile. The top portion has a rearward edge and an at least partially radiused forward edge. For purposes of this patent specification, the term xe2x80x9cradiusedxe2x80x9d includes within its scope not only that shape which is commonly known to architects and designers as a radius edge, but also other shapes at least a portion of which are radiused or curved, such as the shapes known as bullnose, double-bullnose, ogee and beveled.
As described above, the forward edge has a thickness comparable to that of a typical stone slab countertop. Nevertheless, between the forward edge and the rearward edge, the edging tile has a thickness that is no greater than about half the thickness of the forward edge. For example, in an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the forward edge has a thickness of xc2xe inches (approximately two centimeters), and the portion extending between the forward and rearward edges has a thickness of xe2x85x9c inches (approximately one centimeter). The upper edge of the facing portion is bonded to the lower surface of the top portion adjacent to the forward edge. At least a portion of the facing portion is perpendicular to the upper surface of the top portion, thus providing the generally L-shaped structure that is characteristic of an edging tile. Although adhesive bonding is preferred, the term xe2x80x9cbondingxe2x80x9d as used in this patent specification includes within its scope all known methods for attaching stone pieces to one another.
A countertop made of conventional natural stone tiles in combination with the novel edging tiles of the present invention has an apparent thickness comparable to that of a stone slab countertop, yet is significantly more economical in material costs because the actual thickness of the conventional tiles is less than this apparent thickness. The foregoing, together with other features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent when referring to the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.